Christmas Crafting

I have been megga busy doing lots of Christmas crafting for various things of late so I haven't had much time for blogging.  Last weekend I was teaching at a Christmas Craft Workshop at our church (Bradfield & Rougham Baptist Church) and will be there for another workshop on 8th December if anyone cares to join us.  We crafted from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm but as you can imagine my day was much longer than that.  For starters Jilly and I went along early to set up tables and chairs and to lay everything out but I had been cutting and stamping for days ahead of time.  I had a helpful crew of gals that took bits home to stamp up or cut out for me too.  Boy is there a whole lot of work involved in this kinda thing!

This was one of my samples for the workshop and was probably the easier of the two cards we made.

And here are a few of the cards that everyone made.  We used a Waltzing mouse wreath stamp, a 'Season's Greetings' sentiment, a 'hand stamped the old fashioned way' stamp and even a further sentiment inside the card (all WMS) which read:

'May Christmas at your house in goodness abound and may health and good cheer live there all the year round.'  You can find the set here - it's called 'Compliments of the Season'.

I thought it was just perfect for a 'house' type card.  We also used real music sheets to make square envelopes and then made a mini square card to match using the WMS 'sleigh bells' sentiment also from the same stamp set.

Our next workshop will feature a paper craft gift basket, tag and bow if anyone is interested - same time on the 8th and just one round pound to play!

I am also running a make 'n' take at Rosina's shop 'Parlour Crafts & Collectables' in Risbygate Street this coming Saturday if anyone wishes to make this front door card - again it's just one round pound to play.  If you're in town between 10 am and 3 pm why not pop in to see us.  here will be a couple of other projects to choose from too.

And then of course there are the adorable snowman baskets we've been making at my mother's house on Wednesday evenings.  These were made by my sister for the residents in the nursing home where she works.  I think she plans to fill them with chocolates or something similar.  She's always looking for quick, easy projects to make that will put a smile on their faces.  It's hard to see from this shot but the handles are actually ear muffs with round scallop muffs down the sides.

My mother has made a few of these (as well as some nativity scene cards that you stamp and colour in). I will also be teaching them to the 5yr to 9yr olds at the church youth group real soon too.  I made a couple up with Rosina today to show her as well.  Plus I played around with a 'Santa hat' box design with her and Kay that I am working on for a  Sunday School project.  Who'd have thought I'd be teaching the kids how to craft?  It's been a while since I did that but I am loving the simple projects you can create.

So far I've done no crafting for myself to date and Christmas is fast approaching but I'm not taking on anything else after the 8th!  My friend's wedding is on 22nd December - boy that's rolled around quick! and I have cupcakes and boxes still to make for that plus I have booked the week before Christmas off so I can relax and do my own crafting then.

All my crafting lately has been for very worthy causes but I'm starting the New Year with a calendar so I can keep track and not let things get out of hand!  Plus I can squeeze some of my own crafting in their too - like the WM Sketch Challenge that I keep missing out on lately.  For now I'm off to my mother's house for dinner and crafting.  I think it's time she put the snowmen aside and tried her hand at some front door cards.  I find it really heart warming that my mother has put away her knitting to join us these past few weeks and that we get to spend this special time together.  We always have fun together!

Hope you've all been crafting something lovely lately.

Blessings to all

Suezie

I'm Feeling Really Blessed!

Since I was off for a few months this year with Labyrinthitis I have a whole bunch of annual leave to use up so I took a few days off this week and boy were they packed full.  I spent Wednesday stamping, cutting and preparing for a craft session today and took a trip to Birmingham to the NEC for the Hobbycraft show yesterday.

I was fortunate enough to be asked by Amanda and Kay if I wanted to go with them and they even had free entry passes which was pretty cool.  I feel really blessed to even have been thought of when they were thinking who they'd like to ask along and it was just like old times being together again.  I miss hanging out with these gals like we used to.  We all get along so well and it's never ever felt like two's company, three's a crowd kinda thing.  It's just a joy to be exactly who we are and we always have fun when we're together.

I didn't take too many photos of the event - I was way too busy looking at everything and jostling with the crowds and numerous mobility scooters! Who knew that so many crafters used them?  They were EVERYWHERE.

We had actually come for the cake show but had the wrong day so I'm really glad the Hobbycraft show was on or we would've had a completed wasted trip.

I should've taken way more photos of projects that were up and around since there were so many fab samples but it's funny how you mean to do something and then realise once you've left isn't it? 

This was a box that was beautifully decorated with pretty paper flowers on the Craftwork Cards stand.

And what fun is this Christmas tree made using card candy?  It reminds me of a whole bunch of Smarties so no wonder it looks good enough to eat.

And this is what I've been creating the past couple of days, more cards for charity, more Waltzing Mouse Stamps and getting geared up for Christmas no less.  I had planned to do some crafting at church with a few girlies today and as chance would have it I got to go to the ladies bible study group this morning too.  They are such a lovely group of women, some very talented and all so friendly.  This is only my second visit to the group since I usually work Fridays but I have felt very blessed on both occasions so I hope it won't be my last.  Oh and one really sweet gal baked cakes and added a pretty cake poke into each.  The cake pokes were marked up with the number (chapter and verse) of a verse of scripture.  When we looked it up it turned out to be Psalm 34:8 'Oh taste and see that the Lord is good .......'  How cool is that?  I am going to log that idea in my memory bank for future use.

This first card features a stamped musical background square which has then had the edges distressed, inked and my favourite faux stitching added with a pattern tracing wheel.  I added a simple stamped text block with distressed and inked edges on all layers.  I made the holly by first inking in green ink on white card stock, then stamping the leaves and finally adding a pretty WMS text background over the top to finish.  The red berries are made using card candy.

I finally got a chance to use my new ornament dies with these fabby WMS ornament stamps and I love the way you can cut out the centre and stamp inside it.  I have chosen a few different text stamps for the cards so we can change them up a bit and offer a bit more variety in a single design.

I would have loved to be able to say we made up a whole bunch of cards today at church but I knew that was never going to be the case.  Perhaps if I'd gone for a more simple design maybe because it was surprising just how many different steps were involved in these mini cards.  Still I have all the various elements ready so all I have to do is assemble them, make liners and bag em' up to be finished. Then I have a few more Christmas card kits to do up and that's me done with charity cards for this year I think.  I will have to get busy on the craft workshops and make a start on getting some of my own Christmas gift projects started before too long.

Time is flying by way too fast right now and I know no matter how much I plan I have yet to get all my Christmas projects done in time for Christmas.  For now I am beginning to feel really tired.  Too many early starts and late finishes over the past few days I think and it's finally catching up with me.  It's just about 10 pm so I think it's time to head off to Bedfordshire.

Here's hoping you're all headed for a wonderful weekend.  A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone that has blessed me in some way recently.

Blessings

Suezie

Still Crafting

I have been busy crafting various things of late - nothing for me tho', but I'm still crafting.  I should have an evening entirely to myself tonight so I'm hoping I can whip up a card for the latest Waltzing Mouse Challenge.  I actually sketched out a design in my lunch hour at work would you believe? LOL.  Whether I get it done or whether it turns out to be completely different remains to be seen.

Anyhow I'm sharing just what I've been up to.

I needed a gift for something and it was due on 8 December so since I had a deadline I figured I'd better do it sooner rather than later.  Does anyone else feel like things are really rushing by right now?  I'm sure Christmas approaching has something to do with it.  I am getting booked up with all kinds of dates for things and I'm still trying to squeeze in a workshop date for Church too.  I was aiming for 17 November but somebody got that date before me and we're now celebrating American Thanksgiving a week early at church (we have several American families that attend).  I'm struggling to get an available date!

The specifics I was given was an apron and tea towels, red to match the kitchen so I ran up a red & white polka dot apron on my day off yesterday.  Next I trimmed a couple of store bought tea towels to match.

Then before I knew what had hit me I started cutting into a third tea towel and whipped up a couple of matching hot pads.  I even hemmed up the left over tea towel for a matching dish cloth.  Am I sad or what? LOL.  I can get really carried away with co-ordinating handmade gifts - SERIOUSLY!  But it does make a lovely bundle all tied up with some wide cotton twill tape and a handmade tag to finish it off.  The tea towels came wrapped with the tape so I am recycling too.

I have been waiting for this Nestabilities ornament die set for ages and this is as much chance as I've had to play with it but since I needed a tag once my sewing was finished I thought one of these would do nicely - thank you very much.  I ud=sed a bunch of other WMS stamps to stamp up the back so I could write on it.

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And I have finally made enough handmade card kits to get some into the post this weekend.  Hopefully these will sell and make a whole bunch of money for charity.  They're such a cute idea and I just love em'.  I finished a whole bunch off at my mother's yesterday on our usual Wednesday dinner & crafting evening.  I am really enjoying these evenings and even my mother is getting involved rather than just sitting and knitting while we craft.

Each kit has 2 cards (stamped with 'handmade') on the reverse, 2 matching envelopes, 2 liners (stamped with 'sharing with you in the miracle of the season' inside), 2 scalloped mats with adhesive strips on the back, 2 colouring nativity blocks with adhesive, 2 'Christmas Blessings' sentiments with foam pads on the back and even 4 colouring pencils to get you started so it's a complete kit.  How cute are they?

This is an old set from StampinUp! that I rarely use but since I'm getting together with a few girls from church on 9 November to make cards to sell and then with the youth group on 30 November for crafting with the kids I think it might just get a whole bunch of use this year alone.

I think I may have to have the grandkids make a few of these too - they absolutely love to colour.  I have been purchasing the card blank packs from Denny's for just £3 for 25 cards.  I know, I know I always make my own but when you mass produce to this extent it really isn't worth doing so I am very grateful I found these.  I think they're 'Anita's' but I don't have the wrappers any more so I can't be sure. I pick up a pack of 48 small colouring pencils at the Pound Store which are perfect for these kits.

Oh and before I go.  Have you seen some of the fab samples Claire has been posting the last couple of days for Waltzing Mouse Stamps?  She is launching large background stamps and shared a really neat way to use them.  You can check it out here.  I love that you don't actually need a block if you use them the way she shows cos I'm guessing you'd need a pretty large block to use them.

I have been popping onto her blog over the last few days waiting for the next release.  She has some really different stamps this time around so I can't wait to see the sets in full.

Well hubby's home so I'd best go cook dinner.  He's out at the men's group this evening and Jessy is working so I think I'll pop my PJs on and relax with some crafting after dinner.  Sounds pretty good to me.

Hope you've been busy crafting something fab. Oh and for those of you in Bury there's a craft fair this weekend at the Sports & Leisure Centre.  With Christmas around the corner I shall be popping in to see if there's anything I can use for my Christmas crafting or for gifting.

Hugs

Suezie